Shillong Lajong FC Set to Host Sreenidi Deccan FC in IFL Showdown

Shillong Lajong FC will host Sreenidi Deccan FC in the Indian Football League (IFL) 2026-27 on Friday, in a meeting of the sides that finished second and third last season. The match will be played at the SSA Stadium in Shillong.

Shillong Lajong have never finished higher in the competition than they did last season. With a squad made up entirely of Indian players, Head Coach Birendra Thapa’s side finished runners-up, a single point behind champions Diamond Harbour FC. The club moved quickly in the summer to keep that group together. Phrangki Buam, the league’s Most Valuable Player, signed a new three-year contract, as did Everbrightson Sana, captain Kenstar Kharshong, Tremiki Lamurong and Gladdy Nelcen Kharbuli, most of them graduates of the Lajong Academy.

This season has started with a 1-0 win over Mohammedan SC at the Kalyani Stadium and a 1-1 draw with Chanmari FC at home. In Kalyani, Lajong had around two-thirds of the ball, took 32 shots and won 14 corners. The winner did not arrive until the 90th minute, when Nelson Rymbai finished Abelson Jachi’s cutback, but Lajong never stopped coming. Against Chanmari, they fell behind to a 24th-minute own goal and were level in the 78th, with Jachi scoring this time. Birendra Thapa came away from that draw wanting more, saying, “In our last match we had 70 per cent possession and controlled the game, but football is not won on possession alone—we missed good chances and a single lapse at the back cost us all three points. Over the last few days, the boys have looked strong and positive in training. We have worked on improving our decision-making in the attacking third and cutting out defensive lapses, and we are ready to put in a strong performance tomorrow.”

Both Jachi and Rymbai started those matches on the bench. Every one of Lajong’s four points has come from a goal involving a substitute, a measure of how deep Thapa’s squad runs and how readily he will change a game from the touchline. So far, the closing stages have belonged to Lajong. Dead balls are another source of goals. Kenstar had a header saved and another came back off the woodwork in Kalyani, Joedson dos Santos has caused problems from corners, and Lajong won plenty of them. In open play, Jota, signed from Chanmari in the summer, is the player who knits midfield and attack together, while Damaitphang Lyngdoh sets the rhythm beside him. Sana’s pace makes him the outlet on the break, and Buam does his best work arriving late in the penalty area. Jota and Joedson have also changed the make-up of an attack that was entirely Indian a year ago. Sana, whose speed was central to last season’s counter-attacking game, welcomes the new arrivals. “While we played with an all-Indian attack last season that moved very quickly on the break, our foreign players this year bring great quality to the squad. Playing at home in Shillong is always an honour and gives us a huge boost, and we want to give our fans plenty to cheer about,” he said.

Sreenidi Deccan FC arrive for their third successive away match of the season. Head Coach Antonio Rueda, the Spaniard appointed in August after spells with Churchill Brothers and Gokulam Kerala, has taken four points from the first two: a 1-0 win over Rajasthan United FC in Jaipur on November 1, and a 1-1 draw with Real Kashmir FC in Srinagar a week later, when Sreenidi came from behind. Rueda is pleased with that return, stating, “Our feeling is very good because we have four points from two very difficult away matches. We won in Rajasthan and could have won against Real Kashmir as well, where only a small mistake cost us all three points, so I am happy with the effort of the players.”

Captain David Castaneda, now in his sixth season with the club, remains the reference point. The Colombian drops deep to bring others into the game and still finds his way into the box, where he is especially good in the air. In Jaipur, his weighted pass sent Nishu Kumar through for the 66th-minute winner, and in Srinagar, he headed the equaliser seven minutes after half-time. Both goals came from the full-backs. Nishu ran beyond the defence to score in Jaipur. In Srinagar, Jagdeep Singh supplied the cross for Castañeda, with Adriano Castanheira’s run from midfield opening the space. Thapa, who spent three years at Sreenidi, knows exactly what that attack can do. “I have watched their first two matches and they are a very balanced side after signing several players with ISL and I-League experience,” he said. “With forwards like David Castaneda, if you give them time and space inside the box, they will punish you. We have to be aggressive in our defending, keep them away from our penalty area, and play the game in their half to give ourselves the best chance of winning,” he said.

Much of Friday’s contest may come down to who has the ball. Lajong had 70 per cent of it against Chanmari, and Rueda, whose teams are built to keep possession, wants his side to have more of it in Shillong. “Against our first two opponents, it was difficult to dominate the ball, and tomorrow could be a similar situation, so we want to spend more time on the ball and use our possession better. If we can improve our control in possession, we will create more opportunities to win the game,” he said. Rueda’s summer recruitment has given Sreenidi a sturdy spine. Pritam Kotal and Togolese centre-back Hadi Idrissou, who is also a presence at attacking set pieces, have settled quickly together, and Pronay Halder sits in front of them. Between them, they have conceded once in 180 minutes. Goalkeeper Kamaljit Singh has played his part too: ten minutes from time in Srinagar, he palmed away a Thabiso Nelson Brown header to protect the point. Kamaljit knows the value of what Sreenidi are collecting on the road. “It is going to be a tough battle after another long journey, both mentally and physically, but we have not come this far for nothing. Everyone in the dressing room is positive and working together as a family. We know how crucial away points are if you want to win a championship, and we are ready to give everything we have to get a positive result from this match,” he said.

The balance for Rueda lies in how far he lets his full-backs go. When they push on, there is grass behind them, and Sana and Buam are quick to find it. The Spaniard is well aware of the threat. “Shillong Lajong are a strong team and a genuine contender for a top-three finish this season. They play a modern, high-tempo style similar to ours, with quality players who are constantly moving and looking to attack quickly in transition, which is difficult to defend against. We have full respect for them, and we are prepared to execute our game plan to get the win,” he said. The sides drew both of their meetings last season, each at the Deccan Arena in Hyderabad. The first, on April 1, ended goalless, with Kamaljit named Man of the Match. In the second, on May 10, Castaneda’s acrobatic ninth-minute finish was cancelled out by Buam’s penalty just before the hour, leaving both clubs on 22 points with two matches to play. Sreenidi’s most recent visit to Shillong, in February 2025, ended in a 4-0 win for Lajong. Rueda knows what Shillong has asked of his club in the past. “This is another long trip and a tough ground where we have historically found it difficult to win, but we understand our responsibility to the club’s project and have trained well to play for the victory,” he said. Level on points last May, they arrive in Shillong level once more, both unbeaten and on four points from their two matches in the current campaign. With so little between two well-organised defences, the first goal could carry real weight on Friday.